Blueberry Blocks the Way
by Mariel1
Summary: Underswap AU. Sans learns the truth about what will happen to his new human friend if they reach Toriel, and tries to stop them. Underswap Sans/Reader friendship, Reader is an adult. Inspired by a random dream I had last night. One-shot.


"Blueberry Blocks the Way"

 _Author's Note:_ _This story is set in the Underswap AU, something I know very little about, but I had a weird dream last night! I thought it would make a good story, and after doing a bit of research I think it works fairly well. My apologies if any of the AU details are off. Also, I've never written a story from the Reader's point of view. Underswap Sans/Reader friendship, hurt/comfort. True Pacifist route. One-shot. Reader is an adult. This takes place just before you meet Underswap Papyrus in the Judgment Hall._

So far, New Home seemed fairly deserted. Perhaps you wouldn't have to deal with any 'enemy encounters' here, though based on past experience you weren't getting your hopes up.

"HUMAAAAAN!"

You nearly jumped out of your skin as a familiar voice bellowed your name. Or, rather, the nickname he insisted on calling you.

Sans pelted down the hallway behind you, huffing and puffing as he ran past you. He kept going for a good twenty feet, then turned to face you.

"Sans? What...what on Earth are you doing?"

Still panting a little from his run, the short skeleton adjusted his blue neckerchief and spread his arms wide to block you. "Human, I cannot let you pass!"

You smiled, amused and uncertain. "Didn't we do this already?"

He frowned up at you. "Your journey ends here. Turn back now, before it's too late."

"It's already too late to turn back, Sans. Please, let me pass."

"No!" Sans shot back, his face growing quite distressed now. His starry blue 'eyes' began to take on a panicked expression, and he shook his head. "Go back!"

You shook your head gently at him, taking a step forward only to be met with a wall of bones. "I can't."

"Yes, you can!" his voice broke, then he tried for more bravado. "You _will!_ "

"Sans..."

"You don't _understand..._ " On the verge of tears now, Sans lowered the wall of bones with a gesture. The tiled floor was completely unblemished, as if the bones had never been there in the first place. "You don't know what will happen to you if you make it to Toriel..."

" _Sans..._ "

"You...you'll _die,_ Human!" Sans's breath hitched twice, and glowing blue tears collected at the bottoms of his eyesockets. "I overheard some of the others talking. Toriel will take your soul. She'll _kill_ you. Or-or you'll have to kill _her,_ and...a-and..."

Unable to maintain his composure, Sans covered his face and tried desperately to keep from crying, but his efforts were in vain. You began to approach him.

He gave no sign that he heard you coming, and continued to talk with his blue-gloved hands over his face. "I don't want you to _die,_ Human...There has to be another way! Please...please, turn back. We can hang out with Alphys...I'll make tacos for you, as many as you want! You can be _happy_ here! Please, don't g-go..."

You crossed the distance between you and rested your hand on his shoulder. "Sans, I..."

The skeleton fell to his knees, abandoning his useless attempts at controlling his emotions, and you knelt down with him and pulled him into a comforting hug.

" _Please..._ "

"Shh...shh..." You held his head to your shoulder and lightly rubbed his back.

"I just _met_ you...I don't _wanna_ say goodbye!"

"Then we won't," you replied, forcing a smile you didn't really feel and offering him your handkerchief. "And maybe it's not a guarantee that things will turn out that way. Maybe...maybe I can talk her out of it."

Sans blew his nose (or what passed for a nose) and looked up at you, dubiously hopeful. "How can you be sure?"

"Well, I can't. But I won't know unless I try." You kept your hands on his shoulders, burying your own fear and sadness as you tried to bring him out of his. "Pretty much every Monster I met here attacked me on sight, but I was always able to talk them down. Monsters can't be free until the Barrier is broken, and I think you _should_ be free. I don't want to hurt your Queen...and I don't want a war against humanity. From what I was able to learn, she doesn't want this war anymore than I do. Maybe I can get to her, somehow."

Sans looked doubtful, still sniffling a little. "What if you can't?"

You sighed, looking down. You had been wondering the same thing for quite a while now, and you still didn't have the answer.

"What if she kills you? Or you kill her?" Sans persisted, tears once more imminent at your silence.

Remembering his love of riddles, you recalled something you once read on a greeting card. You gently tilted his chin up so that he had to look at you. "Hey...What costs nothing but is worth everything, weighs nothing, but can last a lifetime, that one person can't own, but two or more can share?"

Mild surprise dawned on his face, and he asked you to repeat yourself, which you did. He looked down, his brow furrowed in thought (and how did a skeleton do that anyway?), then a tentative smile quirked his mouth. "The answer is...friendship?"

You nodded, smiling back. "No matter what happens, Sans, I'm glad I met you. I know you don't have a lot of friends, even though you deserve them...but whether I make it through this or not, I'm honored to call 'The Magnificent Sans' my friend. Even if things don't go the way I hope they will, I'll _always_ be your friend. That will never change. Okay?"

Sans didn't answer. He couldn't. He was crying. You hugged him and let him get it out of his system, and when he was calm again you got to your feet and held out a hand. He accepted, letting you help him up, and then he left without a word. You didn't see him take out his cell phone and bring up Alphys's number. He had a plan...

As you entered what was called 'The Judgment Hall', though you didn't know the name of it, you spotted a tall skeleton in an orange hoodie.


End file.
